Angels D'amour Boudoir

ANGELS D'AMOUR BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY

355 FUQUAY RD., SUITE A, CHANDLER, IN

L-R Renae Brown & Ashley Oost

As photographers go, Ashley Oost was a bit of a late bloomer. The selfdescribed "military brat" bounced around numerous cities growing up, never calling one place home for long, but when she ended up in central Illinois for a spell later in life, something clicked, so to speak. "I received my first camera as a gift from my mom - it was a used camera," Oost recalls. "I just wanted to take better pictures of my kids." She was about 30 at the time - a little late in the game to start a new hobby, perhaps - but Oost took to photography immediately. And she had plenty of time on her hands to practice, quickly becoming a wiz behind the lens. Soon people began requesting family pictures and wedding photos. "I did that for two years - but realized those genres didn't really fit me, necessarily," Oost explains. "I started toying around with different models and doing boudoir and that just took off. I haven't really done anything else since." For those out of the loop, boudoir, by definition, is a photographic style featuring intimate, sensual, romantic, and sometimes erotic images of its subjects - tastefully done, mind you. Oost, a free spirit comfortable with her body and bodies in general ("The first time I told a woman to take off her bra it wasn't a big deal for me"), found that she had a knack for helping women of all ages recapture their sexuality; but ultimately, it's about empowerment. "It's a way for women to rediscover what they've suppressed inside of them from being moms and wives and workers," Oost notes. "Sometimes women - and men - lose track of who they are inside."

Over the last several years, Oost has racked up 14,000 members in her ladies-only VIP Facebook Group (Angels D'amour VIP Group) - many whom have visited her studio for a photo session. But Oost is looking to expand her clientele even more by reaching beyond her Illinois base; specifically, she's hoping to crack the Evansville market. Currently, Oost, whose studio is located in Chandler, resides in Newburgh. As a testament to her expertise, women from up north are still making the three hour drive to visit Angels D'amour - that's loyalty, folks. But Oost can only take so much credit; it's a team effort made possible by the skills of hair & make-up artist Renae Brown who also serves as assistant photographer. Together, they hone in on a client's personality and find just the right setting and look to ensure complete satisfaction.

For more info or to book a session, visit angelsdamourboudoir. com. Scan the QR Code to join the Ladies-Only VIP Facebook Group